Non Standard Cochin Colours Explained.

These can be birds that are either standardisised colours that are being re-built in order to add a desired improvement, so are not correct to the show(PCGB) standard for that particular colour. Or a breeder is trying to create a new colour in the Cochin breed, these can be an established colour from another breed, or a haphazard colour mutation that occurs during a normal mating cycle. There are a system of stages a new colour has to go through before it can be even concidered for included as a PCGB recognised breed colour feather pattern, these are;a). Crossbreed, where a desired colour of feather pattern is identified, that a particular breeder believes will suit the breed, in this case Cochin type. The first maitngs from a breed as close to type as is possible. This should be done with male of new pattern to excellent type cochin female (A) and cochin male of excellent type over a female with the desired feather pattern or colour(B). The resulting chicks from these matings should be used in the following season, the male birds from group B. mated to the females of group A. This will give the correct Cochin type in both male and female, with helpful copies of the genes carrying the desired colour or feather pattern. The resulting chicks should come correct for Cochin type in male and female. If the type and size breeds true, they can be referred to as Prototype birds.b). Prototype Cochins. This period of breeding can take anything from one season to more than ten seasons. The birds are correct for type and size and they breed true, but they require fine tuning prior to being put forward to the club committee for consideration for standardisation. Problems such as poor leg or skin colour or leg or foot-feathering requiring improvement, prior to presenting them at one or both of the only shows non-standard cochins are allowed to be shown, these are: The national show at Stoneleigh or The Federation show at the Stafford county showground.c). Show standard awaiting standardisation. There is more to this stage than would initially meet the eye. The colour or feather pattern has to achieve a certain amount of popularity as to ensure it's continued upkeep and presence in peoples gardens breeding pens and at the show bench. To achieve this stage the new colour/feather pattern has to breed true to close to 100% of chicks hatched.

A paradox exists where a terrible bird that is a Cochin only by name, can be put forward to the show bench as long as it is called one of the standard colours (See previous page). Whereas a bird that is the epitomy of a Cochin in type, size, skin colour and head and comb, that has a feather pattern that is not recognised as standard can only be put before the public and judges at the two main shows of the year, The National at Stoneleigh and The Federation show, at the Stafford County show ground.

Through the stages mentioned above it is a good idea to look back at the original Cochins when they first came into British or european markets and ownership. The birds that would be refered to as either Crossbreed, orPrototype Cochins. Bear a striking resemblance to these early fowls, such as Sampson and Blossom, owned and shown by Mr Tomlinson. The former, being the champion bird of 1850-1851. So to have this sort of appearance as a so called crossbreed, is not a bad place to form a basis to a new feather pattern or colour.

Mottled Cochin

This is a feather pattern that was introduced to this country by Jack Killeen and Peter Heywood, it has proven very popular and is now awaiting inclusion as a standard Cochin colour. I have made a draught proposed standard, and disseminated it to club members, it is as follows;Proposed Standard for Black Mottled CochinIntroduction With reference to discussions between the Cochin Club of Great Britain Chairman, Elfyn Jones, and myself at Federation show 2009, and, the Welsh national 2011 shows, though like the Pekin, mottling on a lot of examples of mottled cochin are not anywhere near what we see on the Ancona. Again like the Pekin the amount and type of feather, general bulk, and the common problem in both breeds of excessive white in the extremities i.e. footings and primaries, this will possibly always be the case. This ongoing problem being recognised and allowed for, it was agreed the majority of not all Mottled Cochin put forward to the show bench show a very good phenotype to breed, in some cases superior to that of some examples of long standing standardised colours put forward. As we appreciate there are good, and not so good birds, put forward to the show bench, particularly obvious in difficult intricate feather patterns such as the partridge/Grouse, where different birds of the same colour/feather pattern show a fairly dramatic difference from one another. If a similar allowance can be offered to the mottled Cochin, where like the partridge, a good example of the colour stands out well from the not so good. Given a reasonable approach, there should be no reason why the mottled Cochin should not be considered favourably for Cochin colour standardisation. Therefore I believe the proposed standard of the Mottled Cochin should be as follows; COCHIN Large Fowl Origin. Asia Classification. Heavy: Soft feather Egg colour. Tinted The MottledMale and female plumage: Glossy beetle green black ground colour with pure white mottling at feather ends, to be evenly distributed throughout the fowl, except in the primaries and foot feathering where more irregular white areas are acceptable, though fowl with less or little white in these areas should be considered superior examples. The mottling becomes gayer (profusely mottled) in the fowls second and subsequent seasons, however this should not be considered a serious fault, as the even spread of mottling should take precedence. In both sexes: Beak and feet Rich yellow. horn and lizard permissible respectively Eyes red. Comb face, ear lobes bright red. Scale of points As per other cochin colours, as these give the majority of points to Type and size(30/100) and Colour and plumage (25/100) allowing for a well mottled bird with little white in its extremities(Footings and primaries) to be marked much higher a poorly mottled bird with excessively white extremities. Supplementary Genetic information for breeding. The Mottled Cochin is on the E (extended black) Allele, as is the black, blue and white Cochin. The black mottled Cochin is basically a black Cochin with two copies of the recessive mottling gene (mo) the recessive means any bird needs two copies of mo, i.e. one copy from each parent to show as a mottled bird. Mottling (mo) is a gene that restricts pigment from traveling to the very tip of some feathers, so though it shows as white, it is actually an absence of colour. This can be useful for breeding good cochin traits either into the mottled cochin or from the mottle to either black or blue (Self colours) obviously a white bird with white mottles is a white bird by any other name If a blue bird is mated to a black mottled bird, you will get 50% black chicks and 50% blue chicks with no mottling visible. Depending what you are trying to achieve, you can then either. Mate these chicks brother to sister or back to the mottled parent, and get 50% mottled chicks and 50% self coloured. Or mate them to any self coloured Cochin and get 100% self coloured chicks with no mottling. Conclusion This proposition is put forward in an attempt to foster discussion amongst club members to ensure if a new feather pattern is to be allowed to be a standardised Cochin colour; it is to the betterment of the Cochin breed rather than the opposite. There are, and will be, detractors to this proposal, to these I would say. Six colours instead five is not a world stopping change, and standardising this handsome feather pattern will encourage show people to keep the colour with the possibility of having more cochins on show at a wider spread of venue, thus hopefully expanding the ranks of the club. Constructive discussion on this subject is greatly encouraged.

Barred Cochins

his is picture of a very young trio. I used barred wyandotte crossed to a very good type black cochin to create this colour. This seasons chicks (2011) are looking far better inthe leg feather and fluff departments, and are close to becaoming the finished article. The Barred Cochin is the same gene as the Cuckoo as in the 'B' barring gene. To make the straight line bars, it has the extra 'k' slow growing gene factor, so the chicks take longer to grow feathers, and as the feather grows more slowly the pigment is distributed in more accurate straight lines, unlike the haphazrd pattern of the cuckoo. Which has a normal fast growing feather type.

Gold Laced Cochins

These are gold laced Cochins, they are at the prototype stage, they have the type, but require more fluff and leg feather, the type could get a little more rounded, but is from the partridge Cochin so is like the Partridge cochin for type and leg feather Gold laced are probably the most advanced of the 'Pg' Laced feather patterned Cochins to becoming correct to Cochin type and size. In fact the cock birds are of better type and size than most partridge cochins put forward to the show bench during current times. The Hens/pullets are of good type and size is a small issue, but this will improve with time and effort.

As silver laced have been used for sex linked offspring and to improve both colours for size and type, the added silver has tended to make the "gold" (which should be a dark/rich red,) leach pigment into a light red or even buff. Looking on the positive side, this would allow for two handsome colours of feather patterns, from one original. These could be named Black laced red and black laced buff. You will see from the fowl pictured the Cockerel has nearer the dark red in the scale, and the left pullet has the lighter buff colouring albeit with a little smuttyness in the tail feathers. The right hand pulet in the picture below is a poorly coloured bird, in that she has several shades of red/buff. Her wing coverts would be lightest shade required to be called black laced red, and her chest would be called black laced buff.

Silver Laced Cochins

There are, or can be several colours of laced cochin. I have been working on the silver laced (Black laced silver feather) for the longest, and becauseof that those are the laced colour that are most advanced towards being Cochins. I am working on domiant white laced red, which is more commonly refered to as "buff laced" this is generally because the action of dominant white lightening the colour red to a bright buff shade, however the colour can be returned to the correct red colour with selective breeding.

If it would ever come to have laced cochins to become excepted as a standardised Cochin. I would suggest it would be a fine idea if the correct genetic nomenaclture were to be used, as follows;

Silver Laced = Black laced silverViolet Laced = Blue laced silverGold Laced = Black laced redBlue Laced = Blue lacedBuff laced = Splash laced red or White laced red (Explained below)This is not just an empty wish, as I believe it would take away some of the confusion with the names of "Buff laced" which is used for both domiant white and splash. There are obvious differences for the breeders in the know. Dominant white is very rare in this country (England) I get no pleasure from saying some breeders use this uncertanty to get higher prices for splash laced birds, than they are really worth. This would also allow the term "Buff Laced" to be used in it's correct context, so rather than allowing the lighter shade of red caused by the lightening effect of dominant white and silver on red.

Blue Laced

This is a blue laced poor standard cockerel. He has good skin colour, a very nice head and comb, perfect colouring required for a blue laced with lemon in the hackles, so there is something to work with from him. But his type is not particularly good, he also has too much stiffness in some of the tail sycle feathers. leg feathering and general fluff needs much improvement. He is with some well feathered good type (Light) gold laced pullets, in order to pass his good colour genes on to their offspring, which in turn can be put to a good type gold laced cock bird which will hopefully produce a similar type cockerel to the good gold laced, with the blue laced colouring and rich yellow skin colouring shown by this boy. In short he has more good points than bad, it will not be a short fix, but I believe it will be worth the wait when it is achieved.